№ 7 (14), 2025. Comparing Approaches Towards Global Zero in the Modern Period

Despite the renewed interest in global zero and subsequent commitments by Moscow and Washington to bring forth global nuclear disarmament, cuts to the existing stockpiles were seen as underwhelming by disarmament activists and some NNWS while no other new concrete measures or clear obligations have been undertaken. Deterioration of the bilateral relationship spilled over into the NPT review process, further splitting the NWS and NNWS over the issue of disarmament. It clearly demonstrated that a whole array of significant strategic issues was hidden behind the nuclear disarmament commitments. Ultimately, further reliance on nuclear weapons as fundamental aspects of national security strategies, ongoing nuclear forces modernization, and further rapid deterioration of cooperative relationship ended the notion of possibility to make progress towards global zero through bilateral arms control in any foreseeable future.